NBL EXPERIENCE

Damir Tomljanovic made his NBL debut with the West Sydney Razorbacks at 19 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

West Sydney entered a new era following their 2004 NBL Grand Final appearance, undergoing both coaching and roster changes. Longtime head coach Gordie McLeod was replaced by assistant Mark Watkins, who took over with strong backing from the players. Off the court, the club faced significant financial instability, as owners Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs were fined $500,000 and stripped of all 37 NRL premiership points due to major salary cap breaches. These financial struggles heavily influenced the Razorbacks’ offseason decisions and overall team direction.

West Sydney lost several key contributors, including leading scorer John Rillie (to Townsville), Russell Hinder (to Hunter), and David Pennisi (to Europe), while Brad Williams retired. To compensate, the team added Nick Horvath (via Duke University) as their new import and primary offensive weapon. Returning core players Simon Dwight (15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks) and team captain Sam MacKinnon (14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists) remained central figures, while Scott McGregor (12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds) rejoined the squad after recovering from a season-ending injury suffered the previous year.

The Razorbacks’ season began with a 97–120 loss to Perth on October 2, 2004, before bouncing back with a 106–75 win over Brisbane in Round 2. However, inconsistency quickly set in, as the team lost four straight games, struggling to replace Rillie’s perimeter scoring and playmaking. A 96–82 win over Wollongong and a tight 87–84 victory against Cairns showed flashes of potential, with Steven Markovic (18 points, 6 assists) stepping up in the backcourt.

Despite these promising moments, West Sydney endured a seven-game losing streak between January 2 and January 29, 2005, which included a 123–89 blowout loss to Sydney and a 112–85 defeat to Perth. This slump effectively ended their postseason hopes, as the team failed to generate any consistency on either end of the floor.

Among the new additions to the roster was development player Damir Tomljanovic, who saw minimal playing opportunities. Appearing in just two games, he struggled to make an impact, failing to score.

West Sydney finished the season in ninth place with an 11–21 record, missing the playoffs just a year after reaching the Grand Final.

Damir Tomljanovic played two seasons the West Sydney Razorbacks..

Dan Boyce (832 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.